Former CBC and CRTC president Pierre Juneau dead at 89

Pierre Juneau, former CBC and CRTC president, dead at 89

Pierre Juneau, the first president of the CRTC and a former president of the CBC, has died. He was 89.

“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Pierre Juneau, who played a seminal role in the promotion of Canadian culture during his many years of public service,” said Leonard Katz, acting chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, in a statement.

Juneau mandated minimum standards for Canadian content on radio and television that won him friends among Canadian artists. He went on to become CBC president. In 1987 he drove the creation of CBC’s 24-hour English language news channel, Newsworld. Juneau was also an officer in the Order of Canada.

“We are especially indebted to the leadership he provided to the CRTC as its first Chairman from 1968 to 1975,” Katz said. “We join Canadians in celebrating his legacy as the architect of Canadian content regulations, and the dynamic cultural industry that has since flourished. His passion and wisdom will be deeply missed, and we offer our condolences to his family and loved ones.”